Building permits, zoning and land rules in Salt Lake County, Utah

Most construction in unincorporated Salt Lake County requires a building permit¹. A building permit must be purchased from the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District for building expansions, alterations, detached structures 200 square feet or larger, any structure with plumbing, mechanical, or electrical work, retaining walls taller than 4 feet, and several other listed project types¹. A handful of small projects are exempt: a detached accessory structure under 200 square feet (120 for commercial use) with no plumbing, mechanical, or electrical work, a fence 7 feet or under, and a deck under 18 inches high and 200 square feet, though each still needs zoning approval for its location¹. Utah's State Construction Code sets the substantive standard behind that permit, currently built on the 2024 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code as adopted for Salt Lake County⁹. A qualifying agricultural building used solely for agriculture and not for human occupancy is exempt from the state permit requirement, though a plumbing, electrical, or mechanical permit can still apply, and the exemption narrows on land under 5 contiguous acres inside a city or under 2 contiguous acres in an approved subdivision⁸.

The Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District (MSD) Building Services team issues permits and runs inspections for unincorporated Salt Lake County and several member communities¹. Reach MSD Building Services at 860 W. LeVoy Dr., Suite 300, Taylorsville, UT 84123, main phone (385) 910-5600¹. To schedule an inspection, call the Building Inspection Hotline or email inspections@msd.utah.gov before 3:00 p.m. to book the following business day¹. Fees are published for FY2026: an over-the-counter building permit site plan review runs $110, and an accessory dwelling unit review runs $175, while a larger site plan review runs $990 under 3 acres or $1,640 at 3 acres or more¹⁰.

Title 19 governs zoning in unincorporated Salt Lake County; municipalities use their own zoning codes². Bluffdale sets its own zoning, while septic permits there remain with the Salt Lake County Health Department, subject to the state flow and wastewater exceptions^3,11. The county's Foothills and Canyons Overlay adds rules in environmentally sensitive areas².

In MRZ-Village, single-family lots need 6,000 square feet and 60 feet of width; dwelling setbacks are 20 feet front and rear, with side yards at least 8 feet each and 18 feet combined⁶. In R-M, a one-family dwelling needs 5,000 square feet; main-building setbacks are generally 25 feet front and 30 feet rear, with dwelling side yards at least 8 feet each and 18 feet combined⁷. R-M front setbacks have a developed-frontage exception, and taller dwellings need additional side yards⁷. R-M building coverage is capped at 60%; buildings cannot exceed 6 stories or 75 feet, and accessory buildings have a 20-foot cap with additional setbacks above 14 feet⁷. These are district-specific standards; ask Planning & Development Services about the parcel's district, accessory-building exceptions and minimum dwelling floor area, which we could not confirm^2,7.

The Salt Lake County Health Department permits new septic systems up to 5,000 gallons/day; larger or nondomestic systems go to Utah DEQ³. Installing or modifying a Salt Lake County septic system requires a Health Department permit first¹². If any part of the public sewer conveyance system is within 300 feet of the property line, the county can require connection within 60 days of written notice, and once connected, the septic tank must be pumped, abandoned, and documented within 30 days¹². USDA data shows only about 3.8% of Salt Lake County's land is free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so budget for a site evaluation and likely an alternative system on unsewered land¹³. Systems must be inspected by the department before backfilling, and alternative systems, pressure-distribution systems, and holding tanks need a yearly-renewed operating permit on top of the construction permit³. A privy or any place other than a permitted toilet for depositing human waste is unlawful in the county except under a narrow state rule, so a composting or off-grid toilet does not bypass this system¹². Any domestic well also needs a valid water right and a Start Card from the State Engineer before construction, regardless of depth¹⁴.

We could not confirm a general rule for RV occupancy or temporary camping on private land in unincorporated Salt Lake County; ask Planning & Development Services about the parcel's district². In mapped Zones A1-30, AH and AE outside a migratory bird production area, an RV may stay fewer than 180 consecutive days if licensed, highway-ready, connected only by quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and without permanent additions; otherwise county permit, elevation and anchoring requirements apply¹⁵. That floodplain rule does not establish general residential zoning permission¹⁵.

Unincorporated Salt Lake County allows qualifying ADUs on single-family detached residential lots: internal ADUs need 6,000 square feet, detached ADUs generally need 7,000, and owner occupancy, parking, setbacks and building permits apply⁵. Kearns City's separate ADU provisions allow qualifying units on single-family lots of at least 5,000 square feet, with no more than 4 residents; the cited provisions do not expressly define tiny homes and do not apply to unincorporated land¹⁶. RV-park certification rules likewise do not answer whether a tiny home may serve as a dwelling on a private residential parcel¹⁷.

1. Confirm the parcel is unincorporated Salt Lake County, or inside a municipality, since municipal zoning codes apply inside city limits².
2. Confirm zoning, lot size and setbacks with Planning & Development Services^2,6.
3. Contact the Health Department Water Quality Bureau about septic approval and soil/percolation evaluation before finalizing the site plan^3,12.
4. If a domestic well is needed, secure a water right and Start Card from the State Engineer before construction¹⁴.
5. If the driveway will alter the public sidewalk, curb and gutter, or driveway approach, get a permit from the Salt Lake County Public Works Department first¹⁸.
6. Apply to MSD Building Services; confirm eligibility if using the owner-builder contractor-licensing exemption^1,4.
7. Schedule and pass each required inspection, and do not backfill the septic system until the Health Department approves it^1,3.
8. Obtain all departmental approvals and final inspection approval and/or a certificate of occupancy before using or occupying the home¹⁹. For projects requiring special inspections, hire an independent inspection agency and submit the required forms before building permit issuance; MSD must accept all special inspection reports, including the final report, before issuing the certificate of occupancy²⁰.

Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated or inside a municipality first, since that changes which zoning code applies². Check the base zoning district, any Foothills and Canyons overlay, and mapped flood hazards (a floodplain development permit applies in FEMA special flood hazard areas) before choosing a homesite^2,15,21. A roofless driveway or patio does not need a building permit, but altering a public sidewalk, curb and gutter, or driveway approach requires a Salt Lake County Public Works permit before work begins¹⁸. A connection to a state highway instead requires a conditional access permit from UDOT²². Get a septic site evaluation early: only about 3.8% of the county's soils are free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹³. Typical property tax bills run around $2,726 a year at an effective rate near 0.6%¹³.

Dividing unincorporated Salt Lake County land is regulated under Title 18; ask the MSD Planning Team for current subdivision requirements rather than relying on the proposed replacement ordinance^23,24,25. The County Surveyor must approve subdivision plats before recording, and the Health Department must approve subdivision water and sewer arrangements^25,26. Work within 20 feet of a county flood control facility also requires a Flood Control Permit²⁷.